The invention generally relates to warning lights and, in particular, to emergency vehicle lighting, vehicle light bars, vehicle warning lights and other warning devices having a transmissive/reflective layer which masks the appearance of the device to an observer remote from the device. In particular, the layer reduces the appearance of the color of the warning devices to an observer when the device is inactive and reflecting ambient light. In the inactive mode, the device is less apparent as an emergency warning device than it would be without the layer because, in part, the emergency warning colors (e.g., red, blue, amber) of the device are masked by the layer and less prevalent. Thus, an observer looking at the device when it is not energized is less likely to know or less likely to be able to tell that the device will emit an emergency warning color such as red, blue or amber, when energized.
Generally, light bars and other emergency warning light devices employ colored light or a combination of colored and white light to increase visibility of the devices when they are energized. Frequently, emergency warning devices are identified by observers by their color (e.g., red, blue or amber). In some cases, the colored light is generated by colored filters or other colored surfaces which present an emergency warning color which is apparent to an observer when the device is not illuminated. This can be a disadvantage, particularly in police vehicles, because such colors allow observers to easily recognize the vehicles. In certain situations when the devices are not illuminated and inactive, such vehicles are attempting to be inconspicuous and maintain a low profile appearance. For example, police tend to be more effective if they can move about in cars having light bars which are less noticeable. Therefore, there is a need for light bars and other emergency warning light devices which provide multi-color operation but which do not have an obvious multi-color appearance when the devices are not illuminated.
It is an object of this invention to provide an emergency warning light device which produces red, amber and/or blue warning signals when illuminated but which does not appear to be red, amber and/or blue when not illuminated thereby having the appearance when not illuminated of a color substantially different from the emergency warning colors produced when illuminated.
It is another object of this invention to provide a multi-colored emergency warning light device which has the appearance of silver, copper, gold, or other color which is less apparent than red, amber or blue, when not illuminated thereby masking any colored emergency surfaces which generate colored light signals when illuminated.
It is another object of this invention to provide an emergency warning light device which generates multi-colored emergency signals and which has a reduced appearance of color to an observer when the device is not illuminated as compared to when the device is illuminated.
It is an object of this invention to provide an emergency warning light device which generates blue, red or amber emergency warning signals and which is less apparent than red, blue or amber, to an observer so that the color of the warning signals which the surfaces of the device will generate is masked.
It is another object of this invention to provide an emergency warning light device which produces colored warning light signals and which has the appearance of gold, silver, purple, or other less apparent colored surfaces and/or images to an observer so that the device masks the colored surfaces of the device.
In one form, the invention comprises an emergency warning device for a vehicle for use with an observer remote from the vehicle for alerting the observer of the vehicle""s position. A visible, colored light source is adapted to be mounted on the vehicle and is adapted to be selectively energized. The light source when energized generates visible, colored light creating colored warning signals which are capable of being viewed by the observer remote from the vehicle for alerting the observer of the vehicle""s position. A transmissive/reflective layer is located between the light source and the observer. When the light source is energized, at least some of the visible light generated by the light source is transmitted through the layer to the observer. The transmitted light provides at least one of the colored warning light signals to the observer. When the light source is not energized, at least some ambient light impinging upon the layer is reflected by the layer toward the observer. The color of the transmitted light has a different wavelength range than the color of the reflected light such that the color of the reflected light makes it less apparent that the device generates colored warning signals.
In another form, the invention comprises an emergency warning device for a vehicle comprising a visible light source, a power supply circuit and a transmissive/reflective layer. The visible light source is adapted to be mounted on the vehicle. The power supply circuit selectively energizes the visible light source so that the visible light source when energized generates visible warning light signals which are capable of being viewed by observers remote from the vehicle for alerting the observers of the vehicle""s position. The transmissive/reflective layer is located between the light source and the observer. The layer is adapted to transmit warning light signals of a first color to the observer when the light source is energized, and the layer adapted to reflect ambient light of a second color when the light source is not energized. The second color is different than the first color so that the layer has an appearance when the light source is not energized which is different from the warning light signals.
In another form, the invention is an emergency warning device for a vehicle comprising a visible light source adapted to be mounted on the vehicle, a power supply circuit for energizing the visible light source, and a transmissive/reflective layer. The visible light source when energized generates visible warning light signals which are capable of being viewed by observers remote from the vehicle for alerting the observers of the vehicle""s position. The transmissive/reflective layer is positioned on the vehicle between the light source and the observer and has an appearance when the light source is not energized of a color substantially different from a color of the visible warning light signals generated by the light source and transmitted through the layer when the light source is energized.
In yet another form, the invention is an emergency warning device for a vehicle for use with an observer remote from the vehicle for alerting the observer of the vehicle""s position. A visible light source is adapted to be mounted on the vehicle and adapted to be selectively energized, the light source when energized generating visible light creating warning signals which are capable of being viewed by the observer remote from the vehicle for alerting the observer of the vehicle""s position. A transmissive/reflective layer is located between the light source and the observer. When the light source is energized, at least some of the visible light generated by the light source is transmitted through the layer to the observer. The transmitted light provides at least one of the warning light signals to the observer and presents a first image of the layer when viewed by the observer. When the light source is not energized, at least some ambient light impinging upon the layer is reflected by the layer toward the observer. The reflected light presents a second image of the layer when viewed by the observer. The transmissive/reflective layer is adapted to transmit and reflect light such that the second image of the layer (which is the image of the layer viewed by the observer when the light source is not energized) has less apparent warning colors to the observer than the first image of the layer (which is the image of the layer viewed by the observer when the light source is energized).
In another form, the invention is an emergency warning device for a vehicle for use with an observer remote from the vehicle for alerting the observer of the vehicle""s position. A visible light source is adapted to be mounted on the vehicle and adapted to be selectively energized, the light source when energized generating visible light creating warning signals which are capable of being viewed by the observer remote from the vehicle for alerting the observer of the vehicle""s position. A transmissive/reflective layer is located between the light source and the observer. When the light source is energized, at least some of the visible light generated by the light source is transmitted through the layer to the observer. The transmitted light provides at least one of the colored warning light signals to the observer. When the light source is not energized, at least some ambient light impinging upon the layer is reflected by the layer toward the observer. The transmissive/reflective layer is adapted to transmit and reflect light such that the color image which would be viewed by the observer of the device when the light source is not energized is less apparently a warning color to the observer as compared to the colored image which would be viewed by the observer of the device without the layer.
In another form, the invention is a light bar for use with a vehicle for use with an observer remote from the vehicle for alerting the observer of the vehicle""s position. The light bar comprises an enclosure; mounting hardware for securing the enclosure to the vehicle; and two or more devices within the enclosure. Each device comprises a light source which is selectively energized; a reflector positioned adjacent the light source for forming a beam of light; and a transmissive/reflective layer positioned between the reflector and the observer to intersect the beam. The transmissive/reflective layer is adapted to transmit the beam and reflect ambient light such that the colored image which would be viewed by the observer of the device when the light source is not energized is less apparently a warning color to the observer as compared to the colored image which would be viewed by the observer of the device when the light source is not energized.
Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.